Fortnite
Fortnite is a survival co-op video game, best known for being a part of the subculture of memes. Description Fortnite was developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly for macOS, Windows, Xbox, and Playstation 4. It was described by Epic Games as a cross between Minecraft and Left 4 Dead. Gameplay In Fortnite, 98% of the world has been destroyed by storms and the world is overrun by zombie-like creatures. The survivors construct storm shields and gather goods in an effort to find more allies and bring the world back to its natural state. Fandom The game has a thriving fan community online, with over 54,000 Reddit subscribers to /r/fortnite and 63,000 subscribers on /r/FortNiteBR. Tumblr has over dozens of pieces of fan art created for the game, as well as 210 pieces under the "fortnite" tag on DeviantArt. History Development Fortnite was first introduced at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2011. In July of 2012, Epic announced at San Diego Comic Con that the game would be PC-exclusive and it would be the first game developed using the Unreal 4 Engine, with a release date planned for 2013. Developmental challenges and changing of the game's scope pushed the release date back indefinitely. In May of 2014, Game Informer reported that the game would be free to play. A functioning prototype was completed that year, but Epic estimated it would take about three more years to work out the game's various kinks. The game was previewed in Alpha in late 2017, and in Beta in mid-2015. In July of 2017, Epic announced the game would be set for a 2018 release on macOS, Windows, Xbox, and Playstation 4. On July 25th, 2017, they released an early-access version of the game. On September 26th, following the success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, a Battle Royale version of Fortnite was released in early access. Fortnite Battle Royale was given a standalone release one could play without having the base game. Mobile release On March 8th, 2018, the official Fortnite blog announced the mobile version of the game. According to the post, the game would first be released on Apple's iOS platform and, later, Android. The developers promised that the game will be the same, regardless of platform. They said, "Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates." Additionally, the post statied that ", Fortnite Battle Royale will support Cross Play and Cross Progression between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and eventually Android. This means players across devices can squad up with friends and play together." Four days later, on March 12th, the Fortnite YouTube account published a video trailer for the mobile version of the game. The video received more than 1.5 million views in two days. 50 v 50 At E3 2018, Epic Games had several major announcements regarding Fortnite. One of the most major was that Fortnite was announced to be coming to the Nintendo Switch during the company's Nintendo Direct just minutes after the Direct's conclusion. Of note, the game could not be played cross-platform, so Switch players could not play with PS4 players. The company also announced that a Fortnite World Cup would take place in 2019 following several sponsored tournaments that would allow players to qualify for the event. Additionally, a Fortnite tournament was held during E3 and was won by Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and Marshmello, taking home 1 million dollars for charity. Epic Games also confirmed that in less than one year, Fortnite had gained over 125 million players. E3 2018 updates At E3 2018, Epic Games had several major announcements regarding Fortnite. One of the most major was that Fortnite was announced to be coming to the Nintendo Switch during the company's Nintendo Direct just minutes after the Direct's conclusion. Of note, the game could not be played cross-platform, so Switch players could not play with PS4 players. The company also announced that a Fortnite World Cup would take place in 2019 following several sponsored tournaments that would allow players to qualify for the event. Additionally, a Fortnite tournament was held during E3 and was won by Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and Marshmello, taking home 1 million dollars for charity. Epic Games also confirmed that in less than one year, Fortnite had gained over 125 million players. Reception In September 2017, Bluehole, the parent company of PUBG, who developed PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, announced that they had "growing concerns" over the similarities between their game and _Fortnite_'s "Battle Royale" add-on. Bluehole Vice President Chang Han Kim said in a statement said: "We’ve had an ongoing relationship with Epic Games throughout PUBG’s development as they are the creators of Engine 4, the engine we licensed for the gameAfter listening to the growing feedback from our community and reviewing the gameplay for ourselves, we are concerned that Fortnite may be replicating the experience for which PUBG is known." On May 25th, 2018, The Korea Times reported that the Korea-based developer PUGB had filed a copyright suit against Fortnite creators Epic Games, alleging that Fortnite and Epic Games had infringed on their copyright. The injunction was filed with the Seoul Central District Court. Since Epic Games launched the the "Battle Royale" feature of Fortnite, PUBG has been exploring response to what they saw as plagiarism, with Fortnite sharing many similarities with the video game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, including the user interface and in-game items. An official for PUBG said, "We filed the suit to protect our copyright in January." Online, people reacted negatively to the lawsuit, believing it to be unnecessary. Category:Subculture Category:Video Games Category:2017 Category:2018